One month till bass

There’s only one month left of the closed season for my favourite species, the bass. The next four weeks is a time to get the gear ready for what should be a ripper season of bass fishing.

The Nepean River system has had a massive influx of new water through it due to the release of Warragamba Dam. The river has been long over due for a good flush, with a lot of the weed that was choking the river being washed away and plenty of fallen trees and other debris washed into the river making new homes for the bass. The new water also introduced some new species that most of us have been targeting – the wonderful brown and rainbow trout.

There will be some trout lurking about the river still so you can chase a few of these and scope out the river for bass season. When targeting trout you are best fish light – 4-6lb is heavy enough. I’ve had success on small minnow patterns, lipless crankbaits, vibes and Tassie Devil lures. Fly fishing will produce fish but a boat or kayak is essential as bank access is tough and there’s no room for a good back cast below the weir.

Once the water warms up over the next couple of months the trout will disappear. The trout this time around are not in the condition that they were the last time that Warragamba was open, but it is good to catch trout locally.

There are other species to be caught in the river such as carp and mullet, with both fish being caught on bread. Berley is a must if you want to catch carp and mullet – stale bread and some water in a bucket will do the trick. The two most popular rigs to target carp and mullet are either a running float rig or a standard running rig with a small ball sinker straight on top of the hook.

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